Manually-operated circuit-crossing switch



1. B. GROSSWEGE. MANUALLY OPLRATED CIRCUIT`CROSSING SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED Aue. I5, 1918.

I1,389, 1 34. PaIenIedAAug. 3o, 1921.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

AII'OYHN B. ,GROSSWEGE OF WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGrNOiEt` 'IOVTHE WEST- INGHOUSE AIB. BRAKE COMPANY, OF WILMERDING, PENNSYLVANIA, AvCORPO- RATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

MANuALLYprERA'rED CIRCUIT-CROSSING swrrcii.

speifcafion of Leiters Patent. Patented Ang. .30, 1921.

Application led August 15, 19.18. Serial No. 249,942.

To all whom it may cov/wem.'

Bey it known thatI, JOHN B. GRosswEGE, oflVilkinsburg, in the county ofAllegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new anduseful Improvement in Manually-Operated Circuit-Crossing: Switches, of4which improvement'the following is a specification.

This invention .relates toswitchmechanism for electric train linecircuits, particularly where an automatic electric coupling is employedhaving a plurality of butt vcontacts upon both sides :of the center linefor establishing electric connection between the corresponding circuitson adjoining cars.

As is .well known by thosev familiar with -this1a1t, it is customarywhere there are severalcircuits uponboth sides of the center line tocross the circuits from one side to the otheruponweach car so that thecontact lter- `minalvof each lcircuit at.A one end ofthe car is on theopposite lside ofthe `center from the contact terminal at the other endof the car. The cars are then reversible land either end may beconnected to either end of an ad-y joining car.' vVvVhere the electricconnection between the cars is made by the ordinary jumper,thecircuits`are a'lso crossed in they jumper in :order to preserve the identity'ofycircuits from c'ar to icar.' f

Where an automatic electric coupler` of c the butt'type isernp'loyed,however, there is no Vopportunity for .crossing the circuitsV be- Etween the cars, and for the purpose of preserving the identity of thecircuitsyit has been proposedto employ a switch in the car circuits nearthe terminals at each end of thecar, and adaptedin' oneJ position toconnect the circuits rdirect,.and in another'position, to cross connectthe circuits.` vVthere two cars are .coupled together, therev are,therefore, two ofy thesev switches, one upon each car, andv in order toset up thedesired f combination of train line'circuits, it isnecessaryato set one of Vthese switches to the di.- rect'position andthe`other. to the crossed position. f

The principal object of my inventiton is 1 to provide improvedswitchmechanism `for this purpose, and means manually operated from .theside-ofthe carffor'readily settingk vthe switchesto the :desiredpositions.

flnf couplingcars together, the trainmen standing at one side areaccustomed to'performing the same operation upon the devices of eachcar, and one'of the `features of my improvement comprises a manuallyoperated connection, which is manipulated in ythe same direction uponVeach car but actuates the switch on one car to the direct position, andthe corresponding switch on. the

\ other. car to its crossed position, thereby establishing the propercontinuity of the corresponding circuits 'from car to car throughout thetrain.

According to another feature of mv invention, the switch mechanism maybe `manipulated from either side of the car when it is-desiredto returnthe switch to its neu# tralfposition for disconnecting and separatingthecars. `The switchesmay also be provided with contacts for closingcertain local circuits upon a car, when returned tothe neutralposition,:and this comprises another feature of my` improvement. In theaccompanying drawing, Figure 1, is a .circuit diagram illustratingswitches and'cir'cuits for theends of two cars coupled'togetheraccordingr tofmy improvement; Fig, 2, `a horizontalsectionof one form`lof switch operatingmechanism; Fig. 3,a`1verti `cal transverse sectionltaken on the line 3 3 ofFigs 2 and 4; and Fig.v 4, a vertical lonfgitudinalsection-of the same. y

. According to the diagram shown in Fig.

1,.ther`eare indicated only ive car circuit wiresA, B, C, D,`and E, andthree terminal contact points at the coupler L, M, and AR, forestablishing electric connection for wires A, C and E, through thetrain, the wires B andV D, being.l only for local car circuits.

Each car circuit wire leads to a fixed con# tact yon .the crossingswitch and the coupler contactsare also connected 'with correspondingfixedA contacts on the switch;r Thevmovable portion of the switch has aset `of contact bars X, vfor making direct connection Y between the carwires `and the coupler in one a third set of contact bars Z, for closing1 `local circuits on thev respective cars when setin .the intermediateor neutral position.

The coupler.V contacts M, indicatefsuch as be located onV the verticalcenter line of the coupler, which, of course, dov not need to one ofthelbars l0.

be crossed, while the contacts L, and R, indicate those located onopposite sides of the center line and of which there are usually a largenumber in the actual coupler, as will be readily understood.

According to my present invention, I provide manually operated meanspreferably extending to the sides of the car for actuating the' switchto either its direct or crossed position. It isv also preferred that theswitch should be actuated from only one side of the car to move same tothe direct position, and from theother side of the car to movesaidswitch to the crossed" position. One form of mechanism for this purposeis shown more particularly in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, in which the movablemember or shaft 6, of the Nswitch is provided with a plate or cam 7,rigidly attached thereto, inclosed within the casing 5, and having thetwo pairof converging grooves or slots 8, and 9, at opposite ends. A baror rod l0, is slidably mounted in guides 11, in the casing 5, at Veachside, the two bars extending to the opposite sides of the car, and eachhaving a pin 12, provided with a roller extending into the apex of theslots 8 and 9. in the neutral position, as indicated particularly inFig. 3. The tip or point 18, of the inner face of the slots is offset ineach case so that when either bar is pushed inits roller pin l2, willengage below the point and be forced into the slot 8. It will thus beseen that when the bar or rod 10, at one side is pushed in the cam andswitch will be turned in one direction to its direct position, and whenthe bar at the other side is pushed in the cam and switch will be turnedin the opposite direction to its crossed position. Vhen either bar ispushed in with its roller pin entering the groove 8, it will be noticedthat the roller pin ofthe other bar will be moved into the slot 9,drawing the bar inward, as the cam turns, so that from either direct orcrossed position the switch may be returned to neutral position bypulling either Vhen the switches are symmetrically installed in thecircuits at the ends ofeach car, as indicated, and the cars are coupledup in a train, it will be seen that the push rods on one side of thetrain at each coupling will be alternate, that is to say, by pushing inthe two bars on the adjoining cars at each coupling and on the same sideof the train, one switch willv be shifted to the direct position and theother to the crossed position, thus establishing the proper continuityof circuits throughout the train, as will be readily understood.`

To release the switches for disconnecting the cars and for closing localcar circuits, either one of the bars 10, at either side of the train maybe pulled out thus returning the cam to neutral position with contactbars Z,

`car to shift said switch to its direct connecting circuit wires C, Dand B, E, for local car circuits.

In order to prevent accidental displacement of the switch, a springactuated impositive stop 14, engaging a star wheel 15, on the shaft 6,may be employed, if desired, as shown in Fig. 4.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is z-` Y l l. The combination with a crossingswitch for car line circuits and having one position for directconnections and another position for cross connections, of a mechanicalconnection adapted to be operated from the side of the car for shiftingsaid switch either to its direct or to its crossed position.

2. The combination with acrossing switch for car line circuits andhaving one position for direct connectionsand Vanother position forcross connections, of manually operated mechanism actuated from one sideof the car to shift said switch to its direct position and actuated fromthe otherside of the car, to shift the switch to its crossed position.3. In an electric train line system, the combination with a crossingswitch for the circuits of each car, and having two positions, one fordirect connection and one for cross connection, of a manually operatedmechanism actuated by Va certain movement from the side of the car forshifting A011e of said switches to its direct position, and

another manually operated mechanism actuated by the same movement at thesame side of the train for shifting the adjacent switch of the adjoiningcar to its crossed position.

4. The combination with a crossing switch for car line circuits andhaving one position for directly connecting said circuits, anotherposition for cross-connecting said circuits, and a neutral positionhaving con tact bars for closing local car circuits.

5. The combination with a crossing switch for car line circuits andhaving one position for directly connecting said circuits, anotherposition for cross-connecting said circuits, and a neutral positionhaving contact bars for closing'local car circuits, and a manuallyoperated mechanism actuated from the sides of the car for shifting saidswitch from its neutral position to either its direct position or ltoits crossed position.

6. rI he combination with a crossing switch for car line circuits andhaving-one position for direct connections and another position forcross connections, of manually operated mechanism actuated from one sideof the position and actuated from the other side of the car, to shiftthe switch to its crossed position, and actuated from either sideof thecar to return said switch to its neutral position.

7. The combination with a crossing switch for car line circuits andhaving one position for direct connections and another position forcross connections, of rods extending to the opposite sides of the car,and mechanism operated by manipulating one rod to shift said switch toits direct position and operated by manipulating the other rod to shiftsaid switch to its crossed position.

8. The combination with a crossing switch for car line circuits andhaving one position for direct connections and another position forcross connect-ions, of push rods extending from said switch to theopposite sides of the car, and mechanism operated by pushing in the rodat one side to shift said switch to' its direct position, and operatedby pushing in the other rod at the other side to shift said switch toits crossed osition.

9. The combination with a crosslng switch for car line circuits andhaving one position for direct connections and another position forcross connections, of push rods extending from said switch to theopposite sides of the car, and mechanism operated by pushing in the rodat one side to shift said switch to its direct position, and operated bypushing inthe other rod at the other side to shift said switch to itscrossed position, and operated by pulling out either of said rods toreturn said switch to its neutral position. 10. In an electric trainline system, the combination with a crossing switch for the circuits ofeach car, and having two positions, one for direct connection and onefor cross connection, of a push rod extending from said switch to theside of the car, and mechanism operated by pushing in one of the rodsfor shifting its switch to the direct position, and mechanism operatedby pushing in the adjacent rod of the adjoining car for shifting itsswitch to the crossed position.

11. The combination with a crossing switch for car line circuits andhaving one position for direct connections and another position forcross connections, of a cam for operating said switch, and push rodsextending to the opposite sides of the car for operating said cam.-

12. The combination with acrossing switch for car line circuits andhaving one position for direct connections and another position `forcross connections, of a cam having oppositely converging slots, and pushrods having pins projecting into said slots.

13. The combination with a crossing switch for car line circuits andhaving one position for direct connections and another position forcross connections, of a plate fixed upon the sha-ft of said switch, pushrods extending to the opposite sides of the car, and connections betweenthe rods and the plate whereby the inward movement of one bar will turnthe plate in one direction and the inward movement ofv the other barwill turn the plate in the opposite direction.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set m hand.

y JOHN B. GROSSW EGE.

